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ATHO! DEPOT 






Rbv. Joun F. Norton : 

Deau Siu : 

The citizens of Athol, who had the 
pleasure of hearing your address at the re-consecration of the ancient 
Cemetery of tlie town, on the 4th inst., desire its publication ; and have 
instructed me by unaniniuus vote to recjuest of you a copy for this pur- 
pose'. They feel that a production which presents in attractive form so 
many interesting facts in our early history as a town — embracing vivid 
descriptions both of character and event — and connecting us so inti- 
mately with the storied, yet scarcely remembered Past, cannot be too 
highly estimated. And concurring entirely in these sentiments of my 
fellow-townsmen, I beg leave to communicate to you their wishes in this 
regard, and respectfully solicit a compliance therewith. 

Yours Truly, 



CHAS. FIELD. 



Athol, July 18, 1859. 



S*nree imlnitwB 

Hon. Charles Field ; 

My Dear Sir : 

The Address, a copy of which you ask 
in behalf of our fellow-townsmen for publication, was prepared amid an 
unusual pressure of other duties, but since it was received with bo much 
favor by yourself and by those whom you represent, I place it at your 
disposal. 

I may be permitted to suggest the propriety of publishing with my 
address a brief history of the enterprise which led to its preparation 
and a report of the other deeply Interesting proceedings of the day. 

Truly Yours, 

JOHN F. NORTON. 
Athol, July 20, 1850. 



The Town of Athol, Worcester County, Mass., which 
oriccinallv bore the Indian name of Pequoig, was settled in 
the year 1735'. The early dead of this settlement were in- 
terred in what is noAv known as the "Old Burying Ground," 
which is about sixty rods southeast of the present Railway 
Station. Nearly one hundi'cd years having elapsed since 
interments ceased in that place, and a dense forest having 
covered it, the spot was knoA\'n by comparatively few of the 
present generation, till the attention of the town was du*ect- 
cd to the propriety of rescuing the place from utter forget- 
fulncss. ... , ,,.... 

At a Town Meeting holdcn Nov. 2, 1858, a comraittccy 
of which Mr. George Sprague was chairman, was raised 
and instructed to ascertain upon Avhat terms a lot embracing 
all the graves that can now be traced, might be procured ; 
and to report the same to the town with estimates for fenc- 
ing, erecting a suitable Monument, &c. 

'J'his Committee reported in April, 1859, that a lot of 
suitable dimensions would be given to the Town by its pres- 
ent owners, Mr. Ethan Lord and ]Mr. Amos L. Cheney, on 
condition that it should be properly fenced and a Monument 
erected thereon, and recommended that an appropriation be 
made for this purpose. 

This Report Avas adopted and the requisite appropriation 
was made. 

At the same meeting. Col. Thomas ToAvnsend, George 
Sprague and Amos L. Cheney were appointed a Committee 
to carry into effect the above named resolution. These gen- 



tlemen obtained, in behalf of the Town, the legal title to a 
lot eight rods long and four rods wide, which embraces all 
the graves that can now be distinguished, fenced the same 
and procured a granite Monument of suitable size and suit- 
ably inscribed, to be erected in the centre of the lot. They 
then proposed that the ground be re-consecrated and the 
I^Ionument be erected with appropriate religious services 
on the coming Anniversary of oui* National Ind.^pendence, 
July 4, 1859. 

This proposition was seconded by the citizens of Athol, 
and committees Avere appointed to co-operato "with the Com- 
mittee of the Town in carrying into effect this wise proposal. 

At subsequent meetings of the committees, the following 
individuals were chosen as officers of tho day : 

Hon. Charles Field, President. 

Lyman "\V. Hapgood, Esq., lice President. 

Col. Thomas Townsend, C/ticf Marshal. 

Rev. J. F. Norton was invited to deliver the Address. 

On the morning of the day above named, a large con- 
course of citizens and strangers assembled on the grounds of 
the High School House, Avhen a procession was formed head- 
ed by the pupils of the High School and led by the Athol 
Brass Band. The children of the other schools followed 
with distinctive badges ; then the Committees, Officers of 
the day. Clergy and citizens in general ; and the Avhole pro- 
ceeded to the " Old Burying Ground." The assembly Avas 
called to order by the Chief Marshal, Col. Townsend, who 
called upon F. F. Fay, Esq., to read the proceedings of the 
meetin2:s of the citizens of Avhich he had been the Clerk, 
and of the Committees that had resulted in the jjresent gath- 
ering. After this Avas done, Col. Townsend, as chairman of 
the committee of the toAvn, spoke as follows : 

THE MARSHAL'S SPEECH. 
One hundred and fifteen years after the landing of the 



Pilgrims upon Plymouth Rock, five men, viz : Ricliard Mor- 
ton, Ephraim S.nith, S.imi.'l MDrtoii, John Sni?2d and Jo- 
s:!ph Lord, with their wives and children, started from Hat- 
field for this region. All theii- furniture, clothing and pro- 
visions they carried upon their- backs, and guided by mark- 
ed trees, arrived in the wilderness of Pequoig one hundred 
and twenty-four years ago. They Avere then nearly fifteen 
miles from any other English settlement, but undismayed, 
they erected at once their log cabins which they shingled 
with hemlock bark, and laid the foundation for our prosper- 
ity. Where, O, where are they now? Go ask those head- 
stones the names of the pious sleepers, and they answer not. 
Go ask those tall, majestic pines* that -witnessed the open- 
in? of these srraves, the tears that were there shed, and the 
heart-rendinsT siohs that were there uttered, and the only 
response they give is the moui-nful dii-ge of the wind as it 
passes tln-ough their branches. 

The Plymouth Rock has its Anniversary; this day which 
is the biith-day of om- National freedom, is a glorious An- 
niversary, and certainly it is becoming and proper that we 
should assemble on this spot to-day to preserve and perpet- 
uate the noble virtues of the fii'st settlers of Pequoig. 

The boundaries ofPequoig were not the same as the boun- 
daries of Athol, for the northwest corner of the former was 
a few rods south of North Orange meeting-house j the north- 
east corner was northeast of South Royalston meeting-house, 
while the southeast corner Avas south of Phillipston meeting 
house, the whole making a tOAvn six miles square. This 
was the fii'st Biuying Ground of Pequoig, and the dead 
Avere interred here from the four quarters of the settlement,, 
being borne upon a rude bier which was carried upon the 
shoulders of men. These processions were guided by mark- 
ed trees ; and as unfriendly Indians abounded in this vicin- 
ity, all that could carried their muskets for protection. I 

•Ttto of these pines mcAsuro eleven feet in circumference. 



6 

have these facts from mv irrnndmothcr who recei^Tcl them 
from the pious actors in the drama. 

I have noAv a promise to fulfil. A youth is present, who 
■while participating in the labors of clearing the rubbish from 
this plot of ground, remarked thr.t he wished he could know 
the name of the child that slept in yonder little grave. I ask- 
ed him if he should be present on the day of the rc-consecra- 
tion ? He replied "Yes Sir," when I promised him, I would 
then tell him what children and parents were buried here. 

North-Avest from this spot, in the vicinity of ]3onj. liar- 
wood's, stands a tall elm tree, which you may regard as a 
monument to perpetuate the memory of the Fort that was 
erected in that vicinity. There were two or three others 
within the bounds of the settlement, and in these the moth- 
ers and the childi'cn congregated when the Indians were 
abroad. In the day-time, hour after hour, these mothers 
would sit 1)v the side of the Fort, M'ith their small children 
in their arms and the larger children clin2;insf to them for 
dear life, expecting every moment that the savages would 
assail them and carry away their scalps all reeking Mith 
blood. These were the mothers and these the children 
who were buried here. The fathers and the sons cleared 
away the forests and planted their corn, protected sometimes 
by their gur.s Avhich were in the hands of their wives and 
mothers; and it is one of the objects of this gathering to 
make if possible, a lasting impression upon the minds of the 
youth and childi'en of this assembly respecting the trials and 
perils of the youth in the early days of Athol. Ihcn it 
was necessary to build strong cnlcosurcs to keep the cattle 
from being stolen by the Indians or devom-ed by the cata- 
mounts, bears and wolves ; and the children then were oblig- 
ed to watch the cows, calves, sheep and lambs by day, and 
often to momn over the destruction of some pet animal as 
they came out from theii* hiding places in the morning. 

Other things I might say did time jjcrmit. Go to the 
Town Clerk's office and read the votes passed by the first 



fiettlers of Pequoig and their descendants in the days of the 
American Revolution. They acted as if the cause of Amer- 
ican Independence rested wholly upon their shoulders. See 
them fiunishing the necessaries of life to the families of 
those who had gone out to battle, for Athol did nobly to 
keep up and strengthen the spii-it that pervaded every town 
and hamlet in New Enijland. 

But I must close. Had I the eloquence of an Everett, cr 
the ability of a Webster, I could hardly do justice to the 
vu'tuous deeds of the fii'st settlers of Pequoig and their 
children, and I leave the other duties of this occasion to 
abler hands than mine. I now call upon the officers of the 
day to conduct oiu* futui'e proceedings. 

Prayer was then offered by Rev. Ly sunder Fay, when af- 
ter '■ The Plymouth Rock" had been sung by the Athcl 
Glee Club, the President of the Day spoke as follows: 

MR. FIELD'S REMARKS.* 

We have come together to day to perform a grateful duty ; 
to erect a monument to the memory of the first settlers of 
Pequoig, and to rescue from neglect and forgctfulness, the 
place where they repose. And we come to the pcformancc 
of this duty as a town; represented here by the inmates of 
its numerous and happy homes, whose presence on this oc- 
casion is itself a benediction. 

More than a century has elapsed since this ground, con- 
secrated by the tears ofmoiu-ners and by affections that nev- 
er die, was set apart as a burial place, and these " narrow 
cells" were opened to receive the forms of the loved ; and 
although in our midst — scarcely an arrow's flight from oui* 
dwellings — and hallowed by all that is beautiful and endur- 
ing in association, it has lain for long years unenclosed, un- 
visited and almost unknown. 



*It was with preat reluctance and after much solicitation that Mr. 
Field consented to have his remarks published. — PuBi.i&HEK. 



A few years more and we should ha\ e sought in vain tor 

the place where 

" The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep." 

A few years more and all traces of this ancient cemetery 
would have been obliterated ; and the charm which still lin- 
gers around it, like the Angel at the Sepulchi-e, would have 
forsaken it forever ! 

These old, sunken graves, and these rude unlettered head- 
stones — Avhat talcs they tell ! — and how touchingly they 
speak of the dead ! What memories they awaken — what 
histories call up ! Every tree, and leaf, and flower, and the 
brook, Avhose shimmering light and mumiu-ing song en- 
trance the eye and ear, whisper to us, in this secluded and 
beautiful spot, of the departed', of theii* sufferings, their 
trials, their virtues ; while the tear rises unbidden to the 
eye, and the heart beats with responsive emotion ! And yet, 
we come here not altogether in sadness, but rather in joy, 
that we are permitted to pay this tribute of respect and af- 
fection, and participate in a commemoration, whose, remem- 
brance will be more acceptable than sacrifice, and more grate- 
ful than incense. 

As a fittinar time for this commemoration and these ob- 
servances, the Committee has selected the Anniversary of 
oxir National Independence — a selection, it seems to me, of 
peculiar propriety. For they, by Avhose graves we stand, 
and to whose memory we raise this mute but eloquent shaft, 
were of that race and mould of men, who proclaimed to the 
world the sublime truth that "all men are created free and 
equal;" kindi'ed to the bold spirits of the Revolution Avho 
did all, and dared all, to lay broad and deep the corner- 
stone of Liberty ; the blood of whose sons reddened the 
battle-fields of theii- country ; and who themselves watched 

and prayed, and toiled and fasted with their guns by their 
side. 

" And these were they who gave iis birth, 

The Pilgrims of the siin-set wa"re ; 

Who won for us this virgin earth, 

And freedom with the soil they gave." 



The singing of the Hymn, " The Nameless Grave," fol- 
lowed. 

" Walk gently o'er that nauielcsa grave, 

No weeping eye hath blest ; 
For he wiio sleeps within hath now 

A calm and holy rest. 
Ye knew him not — he walked amid 

Your pressed and peopled way ; 
Unheralded and unacclainied, 

Nor marked by proud array. 

Ye saw him — yet he marveled not, 

He was not decked in gold ; 
That costly drapery did not throw, 

Round him its purple told. 
Ye ask him not his name nor race, 

Nor questioned whence he came ; 
AVhile proudly rose o'er distant hills 

His household altar fiame. 

Have ye not learned the Great One meek, 

And void of high pretense ' 
Go look upon that nameless grave. 

And learn the lesson thence ; 
For he who slumbers there, in life 

Than they was more caressed, 
"Whom sculptured urn or towering shaft, 

And epitaph have blessed. 

The President now introduced Rev. Mr. Norton who gave 
the' following address : 

MR. NORTON'S ADDRESS. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen : 

There are times, places and circumstances that speak with 
more than mortal power, that plead with more than human 
eloquence, that are invested under God's over-ruling provi- 
dence, with a degree of seriousness and interest that stir 
the deepest fountains of feeling in our bosoms. Is not the 
present such a moment? Is not the spot upon which we 
have assembled such a place ? And are not all the facts con- 
nected with this gathering so many circumstances of intense 
interest, that cannot be contemplated without touching the 
chords of sympathy in every heart, without awakening in 
every pious and philanthropic soul the profoundest emotions ? 



10 

Impressed with the belief that whatever may be true of 
it at other times, the moral pulse of this vast assemblage 
beats at this moment in unison Avith my o^n, I could wish 
to reverently uncover and bow my head with yours on this 
solemn occasion and listen with you to the teachings of this 
ground upon which we tread, of these trees that wave in 
glory their branches over us, of tliis beautiful stream that 
has been for crenerations one of the "uardians of this sacred 
spot, of these mounds and rough stones that mark the nar- 
row homes of the dead, and of this day of days that greets 
us A^-ith its smiles and carries us back to the modest virtues, 
bitter trials and stern conflicts of our fiithers. And these 
shall be our instructors on this occasion ; for all I shall at- 
tempt will be to express in words a few of the great truths 
that they silently but impressively proclaim. 

As already intimated, 

THE PLACE OF ASSEMBLING 
Is remarkable, and in itself, a teacher of profound M'isdom. 
Never before in this part of our CommonAvcalth, and proba- 
bly in no other part did a multitude like this meet together 
upon such a spot, for the ground upon which avc tread to- 
day has peculiar attractions, associations and lessons of its. 
own, that render it unusually sacred. 

This is the bm-ial place not wholly of the Unhioivn, but 
of the Uiidistiiigids/icd Dead. These mounds and stones 
over which this forest waves, mark the recej^tacle of the 
mortal remains of men, women and childi'en ; but we nev- 
er saw them ; few of our fathers and mothers ever saw 
them ; and with the exception of a small number, their 
names are lost, for these rough stones bear no inscriiv 
tion, and here the tongue of tradition is silent. A man or a 
woman, probably a father or a mother or else a young man 
or a maiden was buiied here, for you see the grave is full 
six feet in length, but upon all beyond oblivion rests ; and 
■we stand to-day among the Undistinguished Dead. And yet 
this spot has its history, and each of these graves has its his- 



11 

« 

lory. Tradition and early records give us some correct idea 
of the former, Avliile our own experience aided by imagina- 
tion is able to unroll before oia- wondering eyes the sacred 
leaves of the latter. In 1741, eight acres of ground including 
the spot upon which M-e arc now assembled, were set apart by 
the Proprietors of Pequoig "To Lyee in common, for a Bur- 
ing Place and a meeting house place, if the Proprietors shall 
think proper to put them too." There is a tradition that a 
part of this lot was set apart for a pai-adc ground. 

JFho was first bmied here we know not, as we know not 
when the fii'st grave was opened, but since the settlement 
commenced in 1735, the probability is, that it was sacred 
ground jnior to the action just alluded to in 1741. 

How many were buried here is also uncertain. Only forty- 
graves can now be distinctly traced, but the probability is 
that more than this nimiber have been obliterated by the 
ploughshare and harrow. 

Records are in existence wliich assert that Robert Oliver 
and WiUiam Oliver were buried here, while here was the 
resting place of five children of >\Ir. Ephraini Stockwell 
aged nine years ; six months ; foui- months ; four years ; 
two years. These were buried between 1769 and 1776, 
and yonder are five graves of childi-en answering in length 
to the ages just given ; so that it is nearly certain that there 
repose the mortal remains of the chikbcn of Mr. Stockwell 
who Avas the grandfather of our townsman Mr. Geo. Sprague. 
Our townsman, Capt. Bcnj. Twichell, assm*es me that two of 
his uncles, Joseph and David Twichell were Hke-\vise buried 
here. Tradition also asserts that of the early settlers, the 
Mortons, the Graves and the Nutts were interred in this 
ground. A\^hen one of a family was buried here, this ground 
seems to have been used as a family burjTng ground for a 
considerable time after other cemeteries were opened. 

Tradition also asserts that the last person whose mortal 
remains were committed to this ground, was Samuel Faii-- 
banks, who died June 3, 1777, 



u 

Such is the history of the spot, that now, by the generosi- 
ty of Ethan Lord and Amos L. Cheney, its late OAvners, ha» 
been seciu-ed forever as the quiet resting place of the r(^- 
mains of the ancient dead of Athol, 

I have said that each of these graves has its hhtonj. Every 
grave has this and usually it is written in tears. Go back 
with me one hundred and twenty years, and let us visit to- 
gether this spot. Death two days since entered the ranks 
of the fii-st settlers of Pequoig, and the beloved wife and 
fond mother was the victim. Long and resolutely did she 
struggle against the conviction of danger, and all was done 
that could be done to save her. The s\Tnpathy of every in- 
dividual in the settlement A\as aroused, and dailv prayer 
went up from every log house for her recovery ; but she is 
dead ; and to-day a new grave is to receive its sacred deposit. 
It is opened there, and you stand with me by its side Avaiting 
for the arrival of the corpse and the band of mourners. Pres- 
ently they approach throixgh the thicket yonder, fom- strong 
men bear the rude coffin. An armed escort precedes them 
for there is no safety in traversing the region around, even 
with the remains of the dead for burial, unless a company of 
men with loaded muskets lead the way. The husband fol- 
lows and then the children. Next comes the remaining men 
with the women and children of the settlement, for all are 
moiu-ncrs. A few wild flowers have been plucked by the 
hands of kindness, and they rest upon the quiet bosom of the 
sleeper. The last look is taken by the fond husband and 
loving chilcben, and all weep, as the precious dust descends 
into its narrow house. O the agony of that moment when the 
conviction comes that all is done, that she is dead and bur- 
ied ! But God is near to strengthen and comfort, and you 
see the mouming band retire, to weep indeed but still to 
gii-d themselves anew for dutv. 

" Arrive at home how now they gaze around 
In every place she no more is found. 
The seat at taMc .«he wKf; went to fill, 



\s 



The fire-?idi' chair ^till «et, but vaca.it »till, 
The garden walks, a labor all Iut own. 
The lattice bower, with trallinjr shrubs o'ergrown, 
The Sunday seat, she filled with all her race, 
Each place of hers is now a sacred place." ' 

The precious remains rest liere in hope; and often doe. 
the sad husband and father, often do the loving ehiUiren re- 
pair to this spot to mingle together theii- tears, and to form 
noM- and higli resolutions for the futm-e. Espeeially between 
the services of the Lord's Day in his House, this ground is 
visited by the serious and thoughtful, for meditation here is 
the J^abbath School instruction of the first settlers of Pequoicr 
And then these graves of children around which you assem- 
ble to-day, each has a touching history; you, fathers and 
mothers, know how touching, if God has bereaved you of 
your httle ones. Who stood in tears over these ^ve know 
not, but each was closed in grief not unlike in intensity, 
though not m origin, that of David when he cried, "O Ab- 
salom, my son, my son ! AA'ould God T had died for thee'" 
And can we tread this holyground to-day, without recallincr 
m imagmation the deepest affecting scenes that have here 
been ^vitnessed ? Every humane heart beats in sympathy 
with human sorrow wherever it is experienced ; and Heav- 
en will not frown if we weep to-day for the dead of past 
generations. 

THE DAY OF OUR ASSEMBLING 

Increases the interest of this occasion. This is the birth- 
day of our country's liberties. Freedom's Annniversary ; and 
1 have not a particle of sympathy with the piety or the 
philanthrophy that cannot greet its dawning light with rejoic- 
ing. The work of our fathers which this day commemo- 
rates was indeed imperfect, and it would not have been hu- 
man had it been otherwise; but it was, after all, one of the 
grandest works that was ever accomplished ; and may my 
right hand forget her cunning before I shall cease to remem- 
ber with gratitude, the toils, the sacrifices, the sorrows and 



14 

and triumphs of the Auifricau Revolution. But did you ever 
think how much avo owe to causes that Avere set in operation 
long before 1776 { Did you ever consider how that struggle 
would have been fruitless had it not been for the peculiar 
character of some of the events that preceded it ! The 
foundation stones of the Temple of Freedom were laid very 
early, yes, generations before the yoke of oppression was 
broken, and the bii'th of human liberty was proclaimed and 
borne on the wings of the wind to gladden the hearts of the 
doAvn trodden nations ? The Piu'itan movements in England 
and Holland ; the perilous voyage of the ^lay FloAver ; the 
toils and privations, the dangers, the faith and deliverances 
of the Pilgrims ; the opening upon these hills and along these 
valleys of the ancient forests ; the founding of schools and 
churches and the cultivation here of the noblest vu-tues that 
adorn and bless humanity, and this, under ciix-umstances the 
most unpropitious ; these things, and such as these prepar- 
ed the way for Freedom ; indeed they are the corner stones 
of this glorious edifice. The sphit of the men and women 
that entered this wilderness and converted it into a fruitful 
field, their honesty of purpose, their firm resolve, their en- 
larged views, their sound judgment, theu" readiness to sacri- 
fice self for the common good, then- high moral courage, 
their faith in God, these, these made the Declaration of July 
4, 1776, the Charter of Freedom ; these saved om- laud 
from being, in that day of darkness, the prey of civil fac- 
tions and the victim of foreign oppression. All history sa- 
cred and profane, and all true philosophy Avarrant this as- 
sertion and therefore render it suitable and proper for me 
to connect this ancient home of the dead with the day upon 
which we have assembled. The men and Avomen aa-Iio Avere 
biu-ied here, Avere imtriots, intelligent, com-agcous and Avarm 
friends of thcii- country. Those Avere perilous days Avhen 
the first settlers of Pequoig began to cut aAvay the ancient 
forests and open this virgin soil to the light of heaven ; 
for the meadows along our noble river were frequented by 



15 

Indian tribes that feared and hated the white num. Indi- 
viduals arc noAV before me, who remember the remains of 
the forts then erected for the protection of the settlers. 
Upon the street near the house of INIrs. Betsey Humphrey, 
was one of these ; there A^■herc the village hotel now stands, 
we suppose was another, while on yonder hill was the third ; 
and in each of these, night after night, an anxious, often a 
sleepless company was assembled for mutual comfort and 
protection. Eleven years had elapsed from the settlement 
before the first victim fell, and yonder liill was the scene of 
the tragedy. Ezekiel Wallingford, contrary, it|is said, to 
the advice of his friends, ventured one night from that fort, 
to protect his cornfield, as he supposed from the bears, when 
a ball from the gun of an Indian fraciui'ed.his thigh and he 
was quickly dispatched by the mm-derous tomahawk. Oth- 
er scenes scarcely less tragic followed, for the enemy was 
crafty and merciless, and there was no security for the whites 
till the red tribes had melted aAvay and disappeared before 
the onward march of civilization. No records of acts of in- 
justice towards the Indians, so far as I know, tarnish the 
good name of the first settlers of Fcquoig, but notwitkstand- 
ing this, their lives were daily and hourly in peril, and they 
found but little rest, till one by one, they were borne by 
their companions to this home of the dead. 

The part which the people of this place performed amid 
the sth-ring events of the Revolution, many of you know, 
was greatly to theii- credit. As early as 1770, the coming- 
strife was foreseen, and measures to meet it in the spu'it of 
fi-eedom, began to be inaugerated. July 7, 1774, the in- 
habitants of this town entered into "a solemn league, or 
covenant," without a dissenting voice, to cripple the power 
of Great Britain by the non-consumption of her articles of 
manufactiure and trade. Fifty days later, seven patriotic 
resolutions were unanimously passed. 

The 1st of these points to a closer and firmer bond of 
union between the colonies. 



The Jid acknowledges the loyalty of the people to King 
George the Third, so long, but only so long as he shall gov- 
ern according: to the Ensrlish Constitution, and the charter- 
ed rights of the people. 

The 3d condemns the blockade and plunder of Boston. 

The 4th complains of the injustice involved in the prac- 
tical repeal of the charters of the colonies. 

The 5th is a pledge of resistance to the unjust measures 
pursued by the British Government. 

The (3th provides for a representation in a county meet- 
ing that was soon to be holden at Worcester. 

The 7th is as follows : " Resolved, That if any person 
shall accept a commission or post of office to serve under 
the neAv Establisment, (that is, British regulations then go- 
ing in force,) he ought to be looked upon and treated as an 
enemy to his country ; as he thereby is joined with, and 
lending a helping hand to those who are endeavoring to en- 
slave us."' 

The seventh Resolve just read, shows hoAV exceedingly 
jealous the people of Athol were with, reference to what 
were then called Tory influences. *Upon the west side of 
the street south of the house of Lucius B. Simonds, near a 
barn now standing, you will find the remains of a dwelling- 
house. That was the ancient tavern of Athol ; and it was 
kept in the revolutionary times by a gentleman by the name 
of Ward. He and his family, tradition asserts, were sus- 
pected, whether justly or not, I cannot say, of too much 
loyalty to their- Sovereign across the ocean ; and so a guard 
was stationed upon the road leading from near this spot to 
the tavern, and also upon the causeway east of the tavern, 
for then the road from the sti'eet to Boston passed fi-om the 
tavern east across the swamp now covered by the mill pond 
of :Mr. Edwin Ellis. The object of this guard was to dis- 
cover, if possible, whether there was any communication be- 

*Tbis anecdote having been given substantially bj Col. Townsend in 
his opening remarks, was omitted in the delivery of the address. 



17 

t\\ ccn the W;vv(l faniily and tho onemy. Thut any discov- 
ery "vvas made we have no information ; hut the wh )h' i^oes 
to shoM' how jealous, three generations ago, Atliol Avas of 
civil liherty. May this jealousy never be less. 

Then came the enlisting of a company of soldiers and the 
provision for their pay ; and I hold in my hands an ancient 
document which will tlii-ow light upon the scenes that fol- 
lowed. Here are the marching orders that were sent to an 
Athol Captain, Avhich will explain themselves. 

TO CAPT. EPH'M STOCKWELL. 

Sik: — Bv virtue of an express from (jenr"l A\ arner .in 
which i am Dii-ected to detach Every Sixth man (Hit of my 
Resriment to i^o to the releaf of our Distressed Breatheren 
at the westward, 

I do Hearby Direct and Order you iorth-with A\ith-out 
the Least Delay and with the utmost Despatch to Detach 
Everv Sixth man out of the Training Band and alarm List 
of your Company for the piu-pose affores'd and See that 
thev are acquipt according to LaAv with armes ammunition 
also with Kittles and Cooking utensils. The Selectmen are 
Directed to acquip those that are not acquipcd, you are 
also to Detach one Corporal. And when you have so Done 
you are to march them to Petersham on monday the Twen- 
ty Eight day of tliis Instant July to meet on the Paraid 
near the Meeting House in said Town at nine o'clock in the 
forenoon, you are also to take the command of the men De- 
tached from captains Nye, Henery and Lord's Companys' 
Too-cther with vom- own Detachment. And from sd. Peter- 
sham you are to make your Poute By the way of Bennmg- 
ton where vou are to receive further orders from Colo. 
Cushin<^, vou are to Petiu-n mc a List of the names of those 
men Detached from your Company Immediately. 

NATHAN SPARHAWK, Col. 

This document was kindly furnished me by Mr. George 



18 

Spiague who is a grandson of Capt. Stockwell. The histo- 
ry of this military company is intensely interesting. Its 
Lieutenant was Benj. ToMTisend, grandfather of Col. Thom- 
as ToAvnsend, our Chief Marshal to-day. This Company 
was in the Battle of Bennington and afterward captured in 
New Jersey, a British detachment, one less in number, with- 
out filing a shot. In the terrible conflict of White Plains 
two of its men were killed, who bore the Athol names of 
Morse andGoddard. The first Pastor of Athol, Rev. James 
Humplirey has left this record respecting them. "]Mr. Earl 
Cutting, their townsman and messmate, was between them 
when they fell." Tradition adds that one of them, when 
wounded, leaped over a fence and died without uttering a 
word. 

Thirty pounds sterling were offered by the town to each 
man who would enlist for three years ; and as the war pro- 
gressed, great quantities of food and clothing were furnished 
by this town for the suffering armies of Freedom. All was 
generous, all was noble, all was patriotic, as the blessings we 
enjoy testify ; but in o\ii adinu-ation of the spirited men and 
women that made Athol Avhat it was in 1776, let us not for- 
get the virtues of the generation that preceded them ; the 
strong common sense, the coiu'age, the lofty aims and un- 
wavering faith in God that characterized theii- fathers and 
mothers, whose dust is mingled with the earth beneath us. 

THE OBJECT OF OUR ASSEMBLING 
Also gives interest to the present occasion. This beauti- 
ful and sacred spot, this ancient home of the dead, has been 
long neglected, but not through the fault of its late owners. 
It came into theii- possession with the other parts of their es- 
tates adjoining,and most gladly do we acknowledge their gen- 
erosity in the gift that secm-es for all time to come this plot of 
ground to the sacred piu"pose of its original consecration. 
What ceremonies were here performed when the first grave 
was opened under yom- feet, I have no means of kno^Wng ■,: 



r 



19 

perhaps the sighs and tears and siU'nt prayer to God of some 
bereaved husband, some heart stricken -wife or some chikl- 
less father and mother, constituted the Avliole. Be this as 
it may, tlie place has been consecrated, and we stand, my 
friends, upon holy groimd. I'erhaps no act of oiu's can 
ender this spot more sacred ; but as we come here to-day 
to do all in our power to nuikc amends for the neglect of 
of the past, by erectmg, at the expense of the town and un- 
der the supervision of theii- Agents this Granite Shaft " Sa- 
cred to the memory of the Fii'st Settlers of Pequoig" the vm- 
known dead who here were bm-ied, you will all admit the 
propriety of the rc-con sec ration A\hich we now make, ihe 
Committee of the To\m of Athol, Thomas ToAvnsend, 
George Sprague and Amos L. Cheney, having procured for 
their- constituents the legal title to this plot of ground, do 
now in the presence of this assembly commit the same to Na- 
thaniel Richardson, Calvin Kclton and John Kendall, the 
Selectmen and to James I. Goulding the Clerk of Athol, to 
be transmitted by them to their- successors, that all men 
may know that this land is restored and re-appropriated as 
a burial place, as the quiet home of the dead. [The deed 
was here passed by Col. Thomas Townsend to Calvin Kel- 
ton, Esq., avIio received the same and committed it to 
James I. Goulding, in the presence of the assembled multi- 
tude.] This act having been performed, we say to the in- 
habitants of Athol assembled this day for this unusual pur- 
pose, this ground is youi-s, so long as you comply with the 
conditions annexed to their deed by the donors thereof, so 
long as youi- care shall keep it suitably fenced and preserve 
the Monument this day erected. And Ave woidd have you 
feel that this is a sacred deposit Avhich you are bound to de- 
fend and hand down to youi- children not only intact but 
still more beautified. Suitable care and labor will render 
his the most attractive spot in this town that is so celebra- 
ted for its charming scenery ; and in the name of this Com- 
mittee and these guardians of our civil and social interests, I 



call upon every Athol man, woman and child, to regard youi- 
self as pledged to carry out to the full the happy design of 
this re-consecration. Ye who are now the pillars of society 
bearing the burden and heat of the day, I charge you in 
the name of the aged before me, and in the name of hu- 
manity also, preserve tliis spot and transmit it to your chil- 
dren, adorned by a refined taste, and if it may be, by still oth- 
er monuments of art. And to the yoiuig in this vast assem- 
blage, I Moidd say, you have an interest here, that we trust 
vou Avill never be disposed to overlook. Soon we, your 
fathers and mothers, shall pass away, and tliis sacred spot 
■will be in voiir keeping. The impressive scenes of this 
hour you will never forget and we charge you to tfll them 
to the generations that shall at length succeed to your priv- 
ileges and responsibilities. Concert of action on your part, 
my young fiiends, will greatly increase the value of this leg- 
acy which it is our purpose to leave you ; and may I be 
permitted to express the hope that as years shall come and 
go, these stately trees shall still adorn this s])ot, and that 
rare shrubs and blooming flowers shall serve to render this 
scene still more pleasant to the eye, yea, one of surpassing 
loveliness. I know of no other town that has such a place 
to Avatch over and beautify ; and in the name of civilization, 
patriotism and religion, in the name of the dead who were 
here gathered to their fathers, 1 charge you, children and 
youth of Athol, make this place yom- care. Hallowed associ- 
ations cluster here ; come to this spot Avith a reverent regard 
for the manly vii-tues and noble deeds of the men and wo- 
men that Avere bm-ied here ; and as you shall stand upon 
this holy ground, may kind Heaven strengthen you, to deal 
justly Avith the past and to meet Avith a becoming spu-it all 
the responsibilities of the present and the futiu'e. 

To one or t.AA^o of the solemn lessons of this place and hour 
I may be permitted for a fcAV moments to advert, in bringing 
my remarks to a close. 

The fading nature of all things earthly, this scene is well 



calculated to impress upon oiu- iniucls; for the earuest, the 
gifted and the good were bm-ied here, and now after a little 
more than a centmy has passed their graves we cannot dis- 
tinguish and most of thcu- names are forgotten. It is so 
substantially the world over. Within the memory of many 
before me one hundred thousand people of the French na- 
tion in the darkest days of her existence followed the remains 
of a noted military commander to theu* quiet resting place 
in that most beautiful and, I may add, gorgeous cemetery 
Pere La Chaise, and two millions united in the memorial 
that perpetuates his worth, but how few of this assemblag(> 
ever knew that France had a Gen. Foy to love and idolize ! 
And as it has been in the past and is noAV, so it will be in 
the futiu'c ; time A\ill obliterate from earth the memory of 
honored names and great exploits, but the deeds of the self- 
denying and good are all recorded in Heaven ; and that rec- 
ord, like the treasures of the holy, the moth shall not cor- 
rupt, and thieves shall not steal. 

This scene and hour remind us of our ohligations to the 
man/i/ virtues of the generations that have preceded us; for the 
foundations of oiu- prosperity Avere laid in the courage, self- 
sacrifice and noble endm-auce of the first settlers of Pequoig. 
Their industry, honesty and piety gave tone to the intellec- 
tual and moral pidse of this commimity as it has been beat- 
in^"- for more than four generations ; and we to-day would 
do something to sIiom- our gratitude, to let the world know 
that in the eager pursiut of Avealth and honor, w{> are not 
so selfish as to be insensible to the obligations that have been 
laid ui)on us by the heroism and vu-tue of fornu^r days. 
This monument shall tell to oiu* contemporaries and to those 
AA'ho shall come after us that the memory of those into 
whose labor we have entered is precious in om- sight ; and 
as generation after generation shall come up to this sacred 
spot, they shall learn that the men, Avomen and ehildi-en of 
Athol, in the year of our Lord 1859, would do justice to 
the past ; that they esteemed this ])irth-day of Freedom 



honored by associating it Mutli the memories of the hardy 
and honest pioneers of civilization and Christianity, along 
the beautiful banks of the Pequoig. And the stran- 
ger that shall visit this consecrated place, shall learn the 
same lesson and go away mth a iinner love for his country 
and a holier zeal for duty, and so our act shall live and bless 
the world long after these tongues shall be silent in death. 

jNIy friends, I have done; and all that remains to perfect 
the work of the hovu*, other hands will accomplish. The 
longer I gaze upon it the scene before me becomes more and 
more impressive ; ibr here the past, the present, and the 
future seem wonderfully, I may say almost supernaturally, 
combined. Another such scene, neither you nor I will ever 
behold; and I bid you look and think till the whole shall 
be daguerreotypcd in fadeless colors and M-ith imperishable 
distinctness upon your memories. And then I charge you 
to tell the story of this day to your children and childrcni's 
childi-en, and to enjoin it upon them to repeat it to the gen- 
erations following ; that age after age may honor the memory 
of the men and M-omen, who, amid privation -and peril, turn- 
ed this wilderness into a fruitful field, and here in the heart 
of the primeval forest, erected and consecrated their first 
Temple to God. 

The Band now played a funeral dii'ge, when F. Y. Fay, 
Esq. read a list of the articles to be deposited in the cavity 
of the ^Monmnent, as follows : 

Rev. S. F. Clarke's Centennial Discourse, 1850. 

Rev. J. F. Norton's Addi'css just given, in manuscript. 

The Athol Directory and Advertiser for 1858. 

The Valuation of Athol, 1856. 

Athol School Reports for 1858 and 1859. Also, 

The records of the meetings of the citizens and com'^-"'*-- 
tees with reference to the Re-consecration of the Old B 
ing Ground, and the erection of the Monument ; the w. 
■comprising more than three hundred pages of printed mat- 



'23 

ter, and about twtiity-tive pages in manuscript. 'J'hcsc 
were then inserted in a irlass iar wliich -was carefnllv seal- 
ed. 'Jlie deposit in the shai't a\ as made at the re<|uest 
of the chairman of" the Committee of the town, by the old- 
est Athol citizen present, Mr. Moses CJhase, aged 88. The 
cavity was now sealed, and under the direction of J. S. 
DnuT, an Athol citizen, Avho wrousjht the Monument from 
Athol Granite, the shaft was placed in position. 'Jliis was 
done l)y hundi-eds of the children and youth of Athol, a 
long rope having been attached to the monument for this 
pm-pose. Some of these children may have the privilege 
of examining the contents of this shaft, when in futui'e years 
they shall have become the " Fathers of the Town." The 
Band now played " Hail Columbia." 

The Monument is a beautiful specimen of Athol work, 
the lettering having been in like manner, executed by Mr. 
Enoch T. Lewis of the Athol ]\Iarble A^'orks. The shaft 
is eighteen inches square at the base, twelve at the top, and 
seven feet in height. The base is twenty-eight inches 
square and eighteen inches in thickness. 

The inscriptions upon the Monument are as follows : 
Upon the fi-ont,-^' Sacred to the Memory of the Frrst Set- 
tiers of Pequoig, 1735." 

On the reverse, "Erected by the Inhabitants of Athol, 
July 4, 1859. 

On the right, " The Fu-st Chuixh organized 1750." 
On the left, " The First Meeting House in Athol was 
erected a few rods north-east of this spot, and was burned 
by the Indians." 

Short addi-esses followed from Mr. H. W. Carter, Dr. G. 
D. Colony, Rev. ]Nfr. Hambleton, Rev. Mr. Bradburn of 
Boston, G. H. Hoyt, Esq., James Oliver, Jr., of the 7th 
generation from one of the first settlers, 'Sir. Henry H. 
Sprague, Mr. J. D. ]Miller and Mr. Wm. l.a Roy Haven, 
the last thi-ee of the High School. 

The closing prayer was offered by Rev. A. Harding who- 



24 

seemed almost overpowered by his interest in the occasion. 
" Old Hundred" was then sung by the great congregation . 
The Benediction by Rev. Mr. Harding closed the exercises. 



Allusion is made in these addresses that are now given 
to the public, to the perils of the Fii-st Settlers of Athol 
ai'ising from the jealousy and cruelty of the Indians; and it 
may be proper to remark that the rich meadoAvs upon the 
banks of the Fequoig in this town were a favorite haunt of 
the red tribes for a considerable period after they had de- 
serted the neighboring regions. Here were theii* corn lands, 
that were unusually productive ; and the place was, more- 
over, easy of access, being upon the Indian high road from 
the south-eastern sections of New England to the Canadas. 
There were two Indian crossings of the Fequoig Avithin the 
limits of this toAvn, one a little above Lcaa^s' Bridge and the 
other not far from the house of James Lamb. The remains 
of these are still to be seen. ]Mrs. Mary IloAvlandson of 
Lancaster, (the death of whose daughter Grace is said to 
to have given the name to Mt. Grace in Warwick) was tak- 
en captive by the Indians in Lancaster, Feb. 10, IGT-). 
She was brought to this place as it appears from her narrative, 
and here crossed tlic " Fayquagc" or tli(> "Bacquag" River 
upon a kind of raft constructed by her captors. And it is 
understood that the breaking uj) of this favorite haunt, 
Avhere some of the most cruel and i)(nfidious Indian tribes 
congregated, was one of the objects of the Colonial Govern- 
ment in the'^votes that were passed in 1732 with reference 
to the settlement of this region. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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